


Bonfire

by tinx_r



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-28
Updated: 2008-07-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 15:45:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/553214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinx_r/pseuds/tinx_r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A beach barbecue...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bonfire

Nick watched the flames dance, gold and orange licking over the blues of burning driftwood. It was already well after midnight and the bonfire was dying down now. Its heat against his face contrasted with the cool kiss of breeze on his bare shoulder.

"Nick? Look at the stars. They're beautiful tonight. So pretty."

"Huh?" He pulled his gaze away from the fire, back to Bambi, sitting at his feet. "The stars? Yeah." He caressed her shoulder lightly, and looked up at the night sky. "They sure are bright tonight."

"See that one?" Bambi pointed up. "I always wish on that one, Nick. If it's a special wish, that is." She turned around and pressed against his knees. "Do you wish on a star?"

"Me? Uh - not really." Nick smiled down at her. "I haven't made a wish in a long time, sweetheart."

"You must be a lucky guy, then." Bambi pouted a little, then smiled. "You might be tonight, anyhow, Nick, if I can give Mama Jo the slip."

Nick grinned. He knew how likely that was. "You know, Bambi, that'd really be something," he murmured, and stroked her hair.

Bambi ran her tongue over her lips, smiling in satisfaction. Nick sure was cute. His friend Cody was good-looking, too, and he did own the boat - Tammy pointed that out to her at least twice a day - but Nick had a hot car. That 'Vette was really something. She'd definitely picked the right guy.

"Come sit here." Nick patted the log he was sitting on, and Bambi shifted to sit next to him. She leaned in close and Nick put his arm around her shoulders.

"It was such a nice barbecue," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Sure was good of Straightaway to put it on," Nick agreed. He looked around at his neighbors, most of them sitting near the fire, relaxed and replete. A few were wandering along the beach, either heading homewards or just enjoying the night. Murray was sitting with Arnie and Mama Jo on the opposite side of the fire, and Nick heard his high-pitched giggle. He was having fun, anyhow. Seemed like everyone was.

To a casual observer, he supposed, it probably looked like he was having a good time, too. A pretty girl, a cold beer, a starry summer night and a bonfire - a lot of guys wouldn't wish for anything finer. And up until a couple of years ago, Nick couldn't have imagined anything better himself.

He turned his head and looked at Cody, who was leaning against the other end of the log. Tammy was stretched out next to him, her head resting on his bare chest. Nick sighed. He hated the act they had to put on for their friends and neighbors. He hated pretending to Bambi he was interested. He knew they had to do it - no-one would hire a couple of gay detectives - but it didn't mean he had to like it. And he definitely didn't like seeing that girl lying all over Cody.

Cody looked up then, saw Nick watching him, and smiled. Nick smiled back, the bonfire's heat nothing to the warmth that flooded through him at the look in Cody's eyes. Bambi was right. He really was a lucky guy. And judging by the way Cody was smiling, he'd be even luckier as soon as this party broke up.

Hopefully Mama Jo would come around soon and collect her crew. He was counting on it, in fact. Tammy and Bambi overnighting on the Riptide was definitely not in the game plan.

"Nick," Bambi said, and he heard the pout in her voice. "Nick!"

"Hey, honey." He turned back to her, taking a deep breath and pasting an interested look on his face. "What's the matter?"

"Don't look at Tammy. You're with me." Bambi pursed her full lips, looking at him through her lashes.

 _'Tammy? Huh.'_ Nick bit his lip. "Honey, I wasn't looking at Tammy. Me and Cody were just - uh - checking in." He smiled to himself. That was nearly true. "Bambi, you know I'm not interested in Tammy."

Bambi tossed her head, and let her blonde hair fall forward. "Wouldn't you rather look at me than at Cody, Nick?"

"Bambi, I - " Nick's lie was cut off mid-sentence.

"Doesn't matter if he would or not, miss. Either way, he's not gonna." Nick looked up into Mama Jo's determined grin, and swallowed a sigh of relief.

 _'About time,'_ he thought, and summoned a pleading expression. "Awww, Mama Jo..."

"Don't even think about it. Tammy! Bambi!" Mama Jo looked from one girl to the other, and Tammy picked herself up off Cody.

"Mama Jo, can't we have even one night off?" she pleaded.

"Yes, please!" Bambi jumped up.

Cody got up slowly and moved to stand behind Nick. One of his hands swung gently, knuckles grazing over the naked muscles of his lover's back, and Nick shivered.

"Put your shirt on if you're cold," Cody said softly.

Nick turned to look up at him, and shivered again. Cody's eyes said something very different, something lewd and private, something that Nick wanted to hear a whole lot more about.

He jumped as Bambi grabbed his arm. "Nick!" Turning back from Cody, he saw Mama Jo regarding them with an amused expression.

"Bambi!" she scolded. "Come on. I won't listen to him any more than I'm listening to you, you hear me? Now you and Tammy march those sweet little butts back to the Contessa before I kick 'em for you." She turned her gaze to Nick and Cody. "And if you two come creeping round, I'll drown you in the harbor. You know I mean it."

"Yeah, Mama Jo, we know. Bye, Tammy."

Cody did a good job of sounding disappointed, Nick thought. "Bye, Bambi. Sorry, sweetie. Maybe next time." He wasn't sure if he sounded as convincing. But then, he was having trouble concentrating on anything except Cody's fingers tracing patterns on his back.

Cody sat down on the log next to him and they watched as the girls and Mama Jo headed off up the beach. "Ready to go home?" Nick asked softly.

"It's a nice night." Cody's hand was still on Nick's back, and Nick drifted into the feeling of Cody's skin against his, a circle of heat under the palm and 5 thrilling points where thumb and fingers touched him. He moved slightly, stretching his back, savoring the touch.

It was a nice night, Nick wasn't going to argue with that. The night-time breeze was cool and welcome after the hot day. The muted crash of the Pacific blended with the soft noises from the dying fire. He just knew it had the potential to be a hell of a lot nicer. But not here, under the eyes of thirty of their neighbors. "Cody..."

Grinning, Cody moved a little closer, pushing his leg against Nick's. "I think there's company at home," he murmured.

"What?" Nick swallowed hard. "Cody, man..."

"Murray and Arnie went off a little while ago. Didn't you notice? Murray gave us a wave. And I heard him telling Arnie he was gonna show him that fish-finder he hooked up."

"Huh. Never saw." Nick shook his head. "It's one in the morning. Why'd he want to think about fish-finders now?"

"Nick. It's Murray. And Arnie. You know what they're like."

"I guess I do." Nick bumped his knee against Cody's. "Babe, let's get outta here."

"Yeah?" Cody stroked his hand lightly over Nick's back and grinned as Nick caught his breath.

"Cody, come on, man. Please?" Nick stood up. "Seriously. You know how much I want you right now?" He stepped close to where Cody still sat and grabbed his hand. "See?" Quickly, he pressed Cody's hand to his crotch.

Cody smirked, feeling Nick's heat and hard flesh through the cotton. "Lucky you wore your shorts, not your swimming trunks, huh?" he murmured, and stood up. "Come on. Let's head down the beach. I know a place a guy can find a little privacy..."

Nick raised his arms, stretching, as they started walking. The night air felt cool and liquid on his skin, still warm from the bonfire. He wanted to lean into Cody, hold onto him while they walked, but they were still too close, too visible, and he settled for looking at him sideways. "Love you," he murmured.

Cody was looking back at him, his eyes hungry. "Yeah, Nick. I love you, too."

They could still see the bonfire from the place Cody knew, a nook turned semi-private by the darkness, a rock and a sea-dumped log. Distance reduced their friends and neighbors to small black shadows against the fire.

"This spot..." Nick muttered. "Just what, exactly, were you planning on doing here, anyhow?"

"Fucking you." Cody touched Nick's shoulder lightly. "Idiot. What do you think?"

Nick smiled at him. "Oh, nothing. I just hate... you know, tonight."

"I know you do." Cody dropped to the sand and grabbed Nick's shorts. He tugged gently, and Nick sat down next to him, sighing as Cody pushed him back on to the sand. "I don't like it much, myself, you know." He stretched out next to Nick, leaning in and kissing him gently.

Nick closed his eyes and relaxed into Cody's kiss. He reached a hand up and tangled it in his lover's blond hair. "I love you, Cody," he whispered, when he could speak. "And I just hate it, when we have to do that. I hate seeing Tammy all over you. You know?"

"I know, babe," Cody agreed, pulling him close. "I don't like Bambi smooching you much, either. But what I do like.." He paused.

"What?" Nick prompted, when he didn't continue.

"I like you not liking it," Cody murmured. "It's hot. I like knowing you're watching me."

"You do?" Nick rolled over to face him. "I'm gonna remember that." He slid a hand down to cup Cody's ass. "Oh, baby, it's so good to touch you. Let's not go to any more barbecues and stuff, huh?"

"Only the ones we have to," Cody agreed, kissing him again. He fumbled with Nick's shorts, and Nick moaned as his lover's hand closed around his cock. Cody sighed with pleasure. "Ah, Nick, baby. Yeah."

Nick moaned again and ducked his head, lapping at Cody's nipple. Cody gasped, then sighed as Nick nibbled at the hard nub with his teeth. "Oh, Nick, yes." He stroked Nick's cock slowly, loving the heat of it, and the way Nick's mouth on his nipple tightened as he stroked his shaft.

Pulling Cody's shorts undone, Nick moved lower down his lover's body. Cody's hand on his member held him prisoner as he made to dive for his cock. "Cody!" he panted. "Want you."

"Want you too." Cody let go and grabbed his leg instead. "C'mere."

Growling softly, Nick swung around, and let Cody guide his hips to where he wanted them. He pushed Cody's shorts down his thighs, freeing his cock. Beautiful. He paused for a second to admire his partner's member, burying the fingers of one hand in the now-uncovered curls.

Cody gasped as Nick's fingertips kneaded the base of his cock then traced their way lightly up and down his shaft. "Nick," he whimpered. Striving for concentration, he grabbed Nick's hips and pulled him closer.

Nick mouthed Cody's head, rolling his tongue around the underside of the fleshy crown, over the top, pausing to tease the juices from his slit. He loved Cody's taste and the feel of him in his mouth, in his throat. He reached between Cody's legs, cupping his balls, rolling them between his fingers and Cody groaned as he nuzzled the base of Nick's cock.

He licked his way up the shaft then closed his hand around his best friend's erection, moaning as he felt himself slide deeper into Nick's throat. "Nick, yes, Nick," he moaned, and stroked Nick's cock. Nick's fingers closed on his hips and he moaned again, helplessly, as Nick pulled him closer, deeper, then pushed back. Cody's eyes closed and he felt the sand beneath him shifting with the movement, a million grains displaced as Nick's mouth and tongue drove him higher, higher.

"Nick!" Cody's voice was a strangled yelp and Nick felt the shudder through his partner's body, felt his cock swell, and the hot spurts start against the back of his throat.

 _'Cody.'_ Nick closed his eyes, swallowing, loving the taste, the feel, the breathy whimper Cody made when he was done. So familiar and so good. He gave Cody's cock a last lick and stroked his stomach. "Love you, man. Love you so much."

"Nick." Cody's voice still shook a little. "So good, Nick. God. Love you so much."

Nick sighed happily as he felt Cody's hands and mouth start on him on earnest. Number sixty-nine was all very well, but it sure got hard to concentrate. This way worked. Real good. _'Oh yeah. Real good.'_ His balls contracted and it took everything he had not to thrust hard into Cody's throat as he came, silently, holding his breath as he held his body down.

The stars floated loose and for a lost instant he looked for Bambi's bright wishing-star. "Nick." Cody's voice grounded him, then Cody was holding him and Nick closed his eyes. _'Better.'_ He let himself drowse, curled against his lover's chest.

Cody stroked Nick's back, listening to the waves break and recede. He loved the ocean. No matter how long you lived on it, it was always different. A thousand changing moods, sometimes rough, sometimes calm, but always there.

He closed his eyes and let contentment wash over him. There was nothing better than this, he knew that for sure. Nothing better than this life he'd somehow found. He had everything he wanted - his boat, the sea and the man he loved. "I love you, Nick," he whispered.

"Hmmm?" Nick rubbed his head against Cody's chest, opening his eyes. "Sorry, babe, did I go to sleep on you?"

"Maybe a little." Cody grinned. "S'okay. Kinda nice. I was just listening to the ocean. Thinking about you, about how good this is."

"Yeah," Nick smiled and stroked Cody's chest. "Bambi asked me tonight if I wished on a star. I told her I hadn't made a wish for a long time."

"Last thing I wished for was you," Cody murmured.

Nick chuckled. "Same here, babe." He sat up and stretched. "You ready to go home yet? Or you planning on staying out here until sunrise?"

"Home's good." Cody got slowly to his feet and held his hand out to Nick. "Come on, buddy. Let's go find out about fish-finders."

"I draw the line at fish-finders at two am." Nick took Cody's hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. "When we get home, I'm going to bed. You can stay and learn about fish-finders. Or come with me. Your choice."

Cody grinned as they started walking down the beach towards the pier. "Nick, it's a tough choice." He slid an arm round his lover. "You offering me any incentives to come to bed with you?"

"You need an incentive now?" Nick stopped, pulled Cody close and kissed him quickly. "Pal, you know Nick Ryder's got the best package on the pier. You gonna turn that down?"

Laughing, they headed for home together.  



End file.
